In many ways, the unfolding public relations campaign reflects the style Mr. Rove has brought to the political campaigns he has run for Mr. Bush. For example, administration officials who went on television on Sunday were instructed to avoid getting drawn into exchanges about the problems of the past week, and to turn the discussion to what the government is doing now. [...] In a reflection of what has long been a hallmark of Mr. Rove's tough political style, the administration is also working to shift the blame away from the White House and toward officials of New Orleans and Louisiana who, as it happens, are Democrats.

On Saturday, August 27, 2005 -- two days before Hurricane Katrina made landfall -- President George W. Bush assumed responsibility for the coordination of "all disaster relief efforts" in the State of Louisiana. This is the specific, undisputed language of Bush's declaration of a State of Emergency, issued that day by the White House, and still available for viewing on the White House website. [...] What's more, FEMA was given specific, direct, presidential authority to act at its discretion -- it did not have to wait for approval from elsewhere in the federal government or from state or local authorities.

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But as specific orders began arriving to the firefighters in Atlanta, a team of 50 Monday morning quickly was ushered onto a flight headed for Louisiana. The crew's first assignment: to stand beside President Bush as he tours devastated areas.

The trouble with that one is that Clinton did it under oath. Bush's groupies won't let him take an oath so he can't lie while under it. Just another one of those political tactics. As much as I hate to say this, Bush isn't an idiot, he just plays one on TV.

I especially enjoy how Jamie read a headline so preposterous that any sane person's first reaction would be that it's some kind of joke, and he immediately assumes that the article is an accurate description of real events.

I assume it's because of his deeply-held belief that the media would never lie to him.

Ah. Based on where you posted your comment I thought you meant the guitar one. No idea about the other one but, even presuming it's real, I'm at a bit of a loss as to what you find offensive about it. I think you are reading too much into it.

Oh, you insensitive twit. As a point of fact, the preacherat my grandfather's funeral made one of his themes "there isalways a little laughter at a funeral". He developed thattheme into reflections on the topic of resiliance.

No, really, i'm not insulted by anything you've said I justnote the utter unreality of y'all latching onto the lamestof excuses to bush-bash. Does that help you get laid orsomething. Bush is far from invulnerable to criticism butthat ain't it.

I predict that BushRoveCheney will outsource all future disaster coordination. FEMA - if it exists at all - will become an over-seer agency with responsibility for handing out contracts. To Halliburton.

As night follows day, Halliburton will also become responsible for keeping the New NO afloat.

You would do well to learn CSS. Here's where I learned it; I've found it's a lot better than other tutorials out there. Assuming you're already familiar with HTML this is an excellent walkthrough. The secret you seek - and much more - is buried in there.

Your linked article uses the phrase "the vultures of the venemous left" without explanation. That you have not dismissed it as partisan bullshit (for this an other reasons) reflects badly on your critical reading skills.

repeats the same "20,000 by bus" number but also points out that there remained a lot of (forseeable) capacity in the city to house non-evacuees in smaller numbers. I'll add that had they been admitted to these other areas, they likely could have scrounged for themselves more effectively in the first couple of days.

It also points out that a lot of private vehicles got washed up in the flood and that these could have been used for evacuation.

That last point is fascinating --- can anyone imagine the kind of society we'd have that would put such a plan in action, especially when the evacuation preceeds certainty that the levies would give? My thought along the same lines was slightly different: what would it take for all those private drivers to swing by the low-lands and fill up to capacity before heading to the highway? Hard sells, I know....

Clusterfuck Nation on blaming and twilight of the oil industryTuesday, September 6, 2005,We've entered the blame-o-rama phase of Hurricane Katrina. I actually heard Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff sparring with NPR's Robert Siegal on the air last Thursday, and a more weasily performance than Chertoff's would be hard to find in any bureaucratic circle of hell...

Meanwhile momentous things are swirling in the background. The price of gasoline may retreat sometime in two to six weeks, but I doubt it will fall below the $2.50 range again. In fact, having gone way above the psychological barrier of $3.00, the gasoline retailers may resist falling below that. There have been no new oil refineries built in the US since the late 1970s. There will be no new ones built now, despite the crunch on refined "product." Why? Because the oil companies understand that they are in a twilight industry and refineries represent huge investments in future activity, which the corporations correctly perceive will be shrinking as global oil production passes peak.

The biggest shock to the public lies a couple of months ahead when the cost of natural gas for home heating (50 percent of the dwellings in America) combines with stubbornly higher pump prices to whap them upside the head. Natural gas at around $12.00 is now many times what it cost as recently as 2003 ($3.00). A lot of Americans will be shivering this winter and some of the weak, old, and poor will die as a result...

It is the states' job to plan and execute the plans for emergencies like this. The federal government is just supposed to support the plans. I can't speak for Mississippi or Alabama, but here in Louisiana our governor had two days to ask for help, and she didn't until it was too late. While Bush is an ass (especially for the photo-op rescue workers he's lugging around with him), in Louisiana I blame the governor.

While FEMA was given the authority, they are not the ones responsible ofr planning something like this. You have to start small, and find out why THEY failed (city, parish, state gov't) and then move up the ladder to the people who's responsibility was only to assist.

I guess the problem is mainly the poor people say "No taxes" so the elected officials do that. It's not really a problem in the democratic sense, in that the voice of the people *is* heard, even if it's only to get elected.

But then something like this happens and they have little funding.

Of course, not that they did what they COULD with the funding they had, nor did they ask for assistance in a timely matter, but that was my original complaint, and god forbid we talk about that. ;-)

Look, man, I know you're young, but you might as well hear it from me as from anyone else: most places, poor people don't run the government.

Of course, not that they did what they COULD with the funding they had, nor did they ask for assistance in a timely matter,

It would depend on how you define "asking for assistance." You may be referring to the reports that the governor did not declare a state of emergency. Those reports are, however, lies.

As to the first point, that's tricky to nail down. You'd have to know what funding they had, then you'd have to know what it would cost to take the steps you felt were appropriate. Of course, in some sense, you're almost certainly right that they didn't correctly allocate resources to preparing for this emergency.

Nota bene! If you simply quote Louisiana's annual tax receipts and say "Well, clearly this is enough money," then you will be announcing that you do not know how government budgeting works. You will be announcing that you have never heard of an earmark, an unfunded mandate, or of the difference between discretionary and non-discretionary spending. You will, in short, be announcing that you don't know what you're talking about, and do not with to continue discussing this matter. So don't do that, 'kay?

I'm not exactly YOUNG per se. I'm young compared to say, your average politician. The reason I was unable to vote was because I didn't have residency in the state. ;-) I'm well aware that the poor do not run things most places, however in this area what they say goes, because no amount of money or campaign contibutions can get you elected without their support. It's one of those many things you'd have to be here to believe (I didn't think places like this still existed until I moved here).

Asking for assistance is different from declaring emergency. At least I assume it is, that will take some research into what exactly a state declaring a state of emregency means. I need to look in to that. But if it means what I suspect, then it probably just means funding gets shuffled around and special emergency plans (That the state should have ready) should go into effect.

As far as the tax bit goes, that's a pretty flimsy argument for even someone stupid to make. Don't worry about that from me.

I've been assuming that Louisiana is fucked up for all the same reasons that the other southern states are, but you make it sound worse.

Here's a timeline claiming that the gulf states had asked for troop assistance, like, Friday. It also distinguishes between the Governor declaring a state of emergency and requesting a Federal state of emergency, but makes it sound like she did both.

The question isn't whether the administration carries fault in disaster planning and response, it's whether there's anyone of sufficient stature, backbone, and eloquence to simultaneously point out the failures of leadership while rising to the occasion themselves. For each glaring mistake made by this administration (Iraq (and attendant war profiteering), bin Laden, global warming, poverty, the loss of alliances, allowing Russia to slip into quasi-dictatorial torpor, the ballooning deficit, Medicaid, tax cuts, missile shields, the Department of Heimat Security, the Patriot act, and lowering the bar on partisan strong-arm tactics) there is a commensurate failure on the part of the presumptive opposition party to seize the moment and assume the reigns of leadership.

I suppose one could argue that the electorate is similarly failing to exercise its sole duty here, but until someone comes forward with an unswerving dedication to improving our common lot in life election day remains a pick-your-poison buffet.

The reason that I think it might be serious is because he signed tax cuts which will last ten years before being phased out -- guaranteeing, of course, economic growth in all those years. I can easily see that being a rationale for these nutbars.

I would also not be surprised to discover that this really is a fine young specimen of Young Republicanism we have here, and that he counts the same way ancient man did: "one," "two," and "many."